Roy Blunt

Roy Dean Blunt (10 January 1950-) was a member of the US Senate from Missouri (R) from 3 January 2011, succeeding Kit Bond; he previously served in the US House of Representatives from Missouri's 7th district from 3 January 1997 to 3 January 2011, succeeding Mel Hancock and preceding Billy Long.

Biography
Roy Blunt was born in Niangua, Missouri, and he graduated from Southwest Baptist University in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in history. In 1973, while working as a high school history teacher, he became county clerk and chief election official of Greene County, Missouri, serving in that position for twelve years. From 1985 to 1993, he served as Secretary of State of Missouri, the first Republican to hold that post in 50 years. In 1992, he lost the gubernatorial election, but he was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1997. Blunt supported school prayer, the federal prohibition of online poker, oil drilling, background checks for gun buyers, restrictions on over-the-counter cold medicines, and privatized Social Security for those under the age of 55, while he opposed minimum wage increases and abortion rights. In 2011, he was elected to the US Senate, succeeding Kit Bond.